Honoring Dr. Barbara Ann Teer With “TheTeer Spirit Awards”
By Risasi Dais
During her lifetime, Dr. Barbara Ann Teer was an incomparable renaissance visionary in the theatrical world. She broke barriers in creating physical and spiritual foundations in the theatrical culture that others never imagined. While many obstacles were often placed in her path, none could ever hinder her focus in creating revolutionary Black theater that left the public in awe and became an instrument to heal our souls with much love.
In 1983 despite a 6 alarm fire that destroyed the original building of the National Black Theatre (NBT), the fire destruction did not stop Dr. Teer’s visions of becoming an entrepreneur to raise funds in order to purchase and own the present highly valued performance facility located at 125th Street and Fifth Avenue in Harlem.
Today, the struggle and joy of creating and producing great theater has been continued by Dr. Teer’s daughter, Sade Lythcott, the CEO of NBT. At this year’s “Teer Spirit Awards Gala”, Ms. Lythcott was very passionate in welcoming and thanking the many supporters who have helped NBT’s to remain relevant and successful over it’s 48 years of existence.
This year, it has been nine years since Dr. Teer made her transition marking NBT’s 48th season of keeping soul alive in Harlem in producing meaningful progressive conscious plays.
Together with her biological sister Fredrica Lila Teer and her spiritual brother Tunde Samuel, the trio of “Warrior Servants” created the National Black Theatre which became a revolutionary sheer force of healing souls in the production of plays for the Black community of Harlem.
